Harris' promise to put $10 million into her Senate race seems likely to deter other Republicans from challenging her for the party's nomination.

But after she made that vow on a TV talk show Wednesday night, her campaign continued to show signs of confusion and indecision. Harris first delayed and then canceled a news conference scheduled for today in Tampa, where she would have faced tough questions raised by her announcement.

Some political experts called the pledge an admirable sign of her commitment to the race; others called it a sign of desperation, noting that self-funding candidates more often lose than win.

Whichever is true, if either, her emotional promise to spend her father's financial legacy on her campaign raised questions about her personal finances.

Harris' Money Muddies Waters

The Tampa Trib really wants Harris gone; in addition to the above piece, we get this today: Some Harris Statements, Facts Don't Jibe And this editorial: Harris Shows Money, Not Support

It turns out that:

Harris' chief political strategist said Thursday that he suggested she abandon her bid for the U.S. Senate because it would be a "tough row to hoe" given the numerous setbacks the campaign had suffered.

But Harris refused. Instead, she decided to spend $10 million of her own money on the race and took her case directly to voters, using Fox News' Hannity & Colmes talk show Wednesday night as her platform.

Harris advisers urged her to quit

See also GOP: Money gives Harris a shot, Scroll down to $10 million gamble may not pay off for Harris and Can't buy credibility

More trouble: Scroll down to, Harris loses another staffer

suing the doctor who did her face lift. She's as fake as her face. Remember that 10 million can buy a lot of voting machines, already pre-set up with the "correct" votes. she's a pro at this.

Whitened Sepulchres

"Elect me and I'll rid this town of those damned Dalmations forever!"

"Death before being dishonored any more." - Col. Ted Westhusing

You've been had by an actress... not a real person. But go ahead and drink her Kool-ade if it makes you feel better about supporting a fraud.

Whitened Sepulchres

Harris said on Hannity and Colmes? The price for a politician to appear on TV is 2.5 million dollars a week? And that was why she felt she needed to contribute ten million dollars to her campaign!!!

Take control of the amount of money that is allocated for elections and it will level the playing field. If there wasn't so much MONEY invested in elections by individual candidates, it just may pave the way to attract candidates that have "ideas" rather than have candidates from 'only' the privileged class or worthy candidates that are forced to spend all their time raising funds and/or have to get it from lobbyists. (Hackett was forced out despite his good ideas because fund raising didn't appeal to him...how many more honourable candidates can American afford to lose?)

The amount of 'money' that goes into American politicians, elections and lobbyists is corrupting the system.

The American dream is that anyone can become the President? Well, I suppose, if he's from the privileged class, or has contacts with 'very' rich friends or is willing to accept bribes from lobbyists. Abraham Lincoln must be turning in his grave over the present state of affairs in America. It was President Lincoln that said, ""Labor is prior to, and independent of, capital. Capital is only the fruit of labor, and could never have existed if labor had not first existed. Labor is the superior of capital, and deserves much the higher consideration." Lincoln's First Annual Message to Congress, December 3, 1861."

He could never have been a candidate today. Pity!

Take back your country and trash the Diebold machines. Return to your roots. (Not all were exemplary, but many, many were!) The principal they espoused, in case you've forgotten was, "All men are created equal." Then there was something about an American dream ... America's elections are now a nightmare exemplified by someone who feels it is necessary to commit 10 million US dollars toward television appearances so she can "win"! Will she get the prize by just having that amount of money at her disposal? Shameful if elections come down to how much "money" a candidate has!

WaPo

Harris Campaign Leaking Staff
3 More Aides Reportedly Planning to Quit Republican's Team

By Chris Cillizza
Special to The Washington Post
Sunday, April 2, 2006; A04

After pledging to personally donate $10 million to save her sagging Senate candidacy in Florida, Rep. Katherine Harris (R) is suffering a staff revolt -- the latest development in a political meltdown that had GOP operatives yesterday questioning whether she will be able to maintain a viable candidacy.

The Orlando Sentinel reported that lead strategist Ed Rollins, campaign manager Jamie Miller and spokeswoman Morgan Dobbs are planning to quit, adding their names to a long list of aides and political professionals who have abandoned Harris in recent days.

Harris's campaign did not return calls and e-mails seeking comment yesterday.

Republican strategists in Washington and Florida said the staff exodus -- which follows months of disarray in Harris's camp -- adds to their pessimism about GOP prospects for unseating Sen. Bill Nelson (D). Two recent surveys -- one conducted by the independent Mason-Dixon polling firm, the other by Strategic Vision, a Republican outfit -- found Harris trailing Nelson by double digits.

"Everyone knew going into this that it wasn't going to be all roses, but no one expected it to be this bad," said a veteran of Florida GOP politics, who was granted anonymity to speak candidly.

Since emerging on the national scene as Florida's secretary of state during the 2000 presidential recount, Harris has been a divisive figure -- beloved by the GOP base for her role in George W. Bush's victory, detested by Democrats for the same reason.

After winning election to the House in 2002, Harris expressed interest in a 2004 Senate bid but decided against it -- a decision greeted with relief by many party strategists who had worried publicly about the impact of her candidacy on Bush's reelection prospects in the state.

When Harris made clear she would challenge Nelson -- considered a top Republican target -- Florida Gov. Jeb Bush and National Republican Senatorial Committee Chairman Elizabeth Dole (N.C.) immediately began searching for an alternate candidate but were unsuccessful.

Harris, meanwhile, was unable to build momentum for her candidacy, and several GOP officials attributed her problems in part to her consultant-heavy campaign team.

Chatter in Republican circles urging Harris to drop out of the race grew louder in February amid revelations that Harris had accepted illegal contributions -- unknowingly, she said -- from Mitchell Wade, the defense contractor implicated in the massive bribery scandal surrounding former representative Randy "Duke" Cunningham (R-Calif.).

The staff attrition that had begun with the departure of campaign manager Jim Dornan, in late 2005, and finance director Mike Miller grew into an epidemic as no fewer than a half-dozen aides left. Perhaps the most significant departure was that of media consultant Adam Goodman, considered by many to be Harris's closest and most loyal adviser. Among her top confidants now, according to Florida news reports, is spiritual adviser Dale Burroughs, founder of the Biblical Heritage Institute and known in the campaign as "Dr. Dale."

more